NOW PLAYING

Drought - a global issue

There is no official definition of the word 'drought'. It means different things to different people.

In England, central and southeastern parts of the country have been suffering from below-average rainfall for almost two years. A drought here is likely to result in nothing worse than the imposition of a ban on the use of garden hosepipes and a drop in crop yields.

In other parts of the world, drought may mean near-certain death, particularly when economic and political factors come into play.

El Nino-Southern Oscillation and climate change are likely to affect the pattern of drought in years to come.